“My educational journey was quite a roller coaster! I started my journey towards a Master’s of Arts in Human Resources Management during the summer of 2016. Working full time as an active duty Lieutenant in the United States Navy, working on a Master’s Degree in Defense and Strategic Studies at the Naval War College, and being a husband and a father to two boys under the age of five wasn’t quite enough for me! I dove head first into my HRMG curriculum and never looked back. Taking two classes a semester, I quickly realized how difficult it all would be. Juggling work, my degree program, and trying to devote time to my family, while also trying to carve out a few minutes of personal time, became a major test in time management. Luckily, with a loving and supporting family, a supportive boss, and others helping along the way, I was able to get it all done. This journey was certainly not without stress and heartache though. There were many long nights and weekends spent reading, studying, crafting discussion posts, responding to fellow classmates, taking tests, and writing research papers. There were also the times riding in the car to the store, the few minutes during my lunch break at work, or sitting on the sidelines at my son’s soccer practice when I would sneak in a few minutes of homework just to keep up the pace. I’ll never forget the times when I would be grinding away on a research paper and my two boys would come into my office, hop in my lap, and hang out while Dad did his homework. It made me proud and I knew I was setting the example that I hope my boys will follow one day. Steadily, the classes went by. Two by two, I would finish each semester elated to be finished while eager to start the next. Finally, in the fall of 2017, about a year and a half after starting my program, I finished my final course. I remember receiving my grade determination for my final course and feeling a weight being lifted off my shoulders. Shortly thereafter, I received my diploma in the mail and the reality truly set in that I had achieved my goal of graduating with a Master’s of Arts in Human Resources Management! What’s even more remarkable is that despite all of the challenges, competing priorities, and the difficult nature of the work required, I was able to record a 3.95 GPA; the best I’ve ever achieved in my 18 years pursuing education! I am extremely proud of my achievement because I always work very hard to be the best in everything I do. But, the journey is not over for me yet. As I write this, I am currently enrolled in a course towards my second degree program and I am slated to graduate in the spring of 2019.”